


Never By Choice

by Incoherentbabblings



Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [18]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Scarecrow's Fear Toxin (DCU), Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27062104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Incoherentbabblings/pseuds/Incoherentbabblings
Summary: Some mixture of Scarecrow’s had gotten churned up in some heroin batches. Paralysis and night terrors? Needless to say, the operation needed to be shut down as soon as possible. If only Tim was not so careless and knew better than to let his guard down.
Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970230
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	Never By Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:
> 
> _“It’s okay baby, I’m here.”_

Tim was careless and should have known better than to let his guard down. Some mixture of Scarecrow’s had gotten churned up in some heroin batches. Paralysis _and_ night terrors? Needless to say, it needed to be shut down before hitting the streets. Batgirl and Red Robin crashing down into the warehouse at the docks had worked at first, but there were a lot of men, and the element of surprise soon faded away.

Tim had turned to check Steph was doing okay (no he _was not_ overprotective) when he should have been watching his own back.

He couldn’t help his wheeze of shock as he was stabbed in the spine. Instantly he collapsed, his nerve endings going haywire. The guy who hurt him clambered on top of Tim's chest, gun cocked and ready to fire.

Any other day it would have been easy to get out, but Tim’s senses and reality were starting to explode in painful colours and pinches and –

A wordless shriek of horror distracted the man just long enough for Stephanie to get the jump on him. Watching, but not comprehending, Tim saw as she body slammed the man, thrusting his hand in the air and ripping the gun out of his grip, flinging it, then him, out the window.

Stephanie’s breathing was laboured as she ensured the guy had cracked his neck on the fall and was not getting up. When she turned back around, the rest of the men lay unconscious, but Tim was still on the floor. Her breathing stopped, and she rushed over, hand on his chest.

“Red Robin? You okay?”

Feeling his erratic heartbeat – skipping beats, going too fast then slowing to a death crawl – she tore off her cowl and his. In the time it had taken for her to dispose of the man who injected Tim with the mixture, it had completely passed through his bloodstream.

“Steph!” he managed to choke out, his throat tight and swollen. Breathing was difficult, and it was not helped by the tears that were flooding down his face. Stephanie gave another wordless cry and tugged him up onto her lap.

“O? Oracle? I need help!” she called, brushing her hand through Tim’s hair. He wasn’t limp in her hold, but rather as stiff as a board, his muscles tensed as his eyes flittered around seeing whatever the toxin was making him see.

Babs confirmed Bruce was on his way, and Stephanie cradled Tim tightly, one hand pressed over his heart, nervously counting the broken beats.

She tried to shush him, but he would still cry out; for his parents, for Bruce, for Dick, for Conner and Cassie and Bart, for her…

“It’s okay, baby,” she said, tone decidedly not okay. “I’m here. I’m here. I’m not leaving. Never by choice. Okay? It’s okay.”

Tim blinked, more wet tears hitting the floor with quiet thuds, and shook his head. Feeling very close to crying herself, she pulled him up and fell back on her butt so she could hold him properly, as if she could embrace the toxin out of him.

Quietly, she amended her cooing. “It’ll be okay, Tim. Just a bit longer. It’ll be okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on the 2nd of August 2020.


End file.
